Not Your Mainstream Watch: On World Emoji Day, let’s indulge in animated fun

The Emoji Movie 

How can the day be complete without watching a movie about them? The Emoji Movie takes you inside the world of these tiny 3D characters. The movie begins with a boy, Alex, visiting a repair store to fix his phone. Gene, a multi-expression emoji, has caused a malfunction in the phone when he messes up a text Alex sent his crush. Gene leaves a digital city called Textopolis along with his parents and other emojis. The leader of the emoji, Smiler (a smiley emoji), assigns her agents to find and kill Gene so that they can escape from being wiped out (read formatted). Full of fun and relatable moments, the movie will keep you hooked till the end.

Pixels 

Though not a fully animated film, the movie still deserves a mention. It will resonate with every 80s and 90s kid who has grown up playing video games. In the movie, Earth faces an attack from a mysterious alien race which has taken the form of characters from games like Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Tetris, Super Mario, Galaga, and more. The President of the United States enlists the help of his childhood friend who was a champion in these games. The movie starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Michelle Monaghan, Peter Dinklage, and others is a must-watch for all.

Moana 

The story revolves around Moana, daughter of the island chief, Tui, and her journey to return the heart to goddess Te Fitti. This comes after her island finds itself facing a food shortage due to the death of plants and fish. The reason is the heart, which was stolen by Maui, a demigod. Moana is determined to return Te Fitti to her olden days of glory and strikes an unlikely alliance with the robber himself, Maui.

The Boss Baby

Where do babies come from? As children, we have all asked this question to our parents. The answers range from ‘the fairy gave you to us’ to ‘an angel brought you to us’. However, as you grow older, you realise that is far from reality. The Boss Baby is here to give a twist to the fairy and angel narrative, almost making you believe in this new tale. The babies in this movie are sent from a place called Baby Corp. Seven-year-old Timothy, or Tim, is a happy child, basking in the attention his parents’ shower on him. Till, they get a baby, Ted, home. Clad in a suit, holding a briefcase — Tim is a witness to his baby brother’s weird antics when his parents aren’t around. The baby, an infant with an adult mind, is sent by Baby Corp to take down the owner of Puppy Co, who is making cute puppies and reducing the share of baby love. After a lot of bickering and fights, Tim and Ted join hands to fight the antagonist.

Tangled

This is a modern-day Rapunzel story where a young princess is kidnapped by a witch and locked in a high tower. The witch pretends to be Rapunzel’s mother and manipulates her into believing that the world outside the tower is full of bad people who will harm her. But, all Rapunzel yearns for is to see the outside world at least once. Her wish comes true in the form of Flynn, a good-hearted thief, who falls for Rapunzel’s innocence and offers to help her. Rapunzel’s journey with Flynn is full of fun moments and startling revelations.